Apparatus for reapers and mowers



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. J. SANFORD.

CUTTING APPARATUS POR REAPBRYS AND MDW-BRS. No. 304,458. Y A Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

Fig, 5 Fig, i.

N. PLTiRs. PlwxuLimngnphqr. wulnngxam n. c,

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. J. SANFORD.

GUTTANG APPARATUS PoR RBAPBRS AND MOWERS. No. 304,458.

Patented Sept. 2, y1884.

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N. PETERS. Fbowmlmgmvher. wnsmngwn: D.C.

ERASMUS J. SANFORD, OF LAWRENCE, NEW YORK.

CUTTSNG APPARATUS FOR REAPERS AND; MOWERS.

SPECIFICATION'forming-part ofLetters-PatentNa 301,458, dated September 2, 1884.

Application filed Septcmbcr'lD, 1883.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, Eniisrrns J. SANFORD,

a. citizen of` the United States, residing in the town of Lawrence, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented certainnew anduseful Improvements in Cutting-Apparatus for Mowers and Reapers, of whichthe following is aspeciiication. 'f My invention relates to cutting apparatus forl mowers andreapers; and it consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The objects of my invention are to provideasimple, durable, and efficient cutting apparatus, in which is employed a nger-bar adapted to receive and securely hold a removable stationary cutter-bar, and also receive and hold a reciprocating cutter-bar for co-operating with the stationary cutter-bar, and to permit` both cutter-bars to be readily removed and replaced at will. I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a plan view of the finger-bar; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 3, a plan view of the removable stationary. cutter-bar detached;l Fig. 4, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 5, a plan view of the reciprocating cutter-bar detached; Fig. 6, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 7 a plan view of the nger-bar and removable stationary. cutter-bar when combined and arranged for use; Fig. 8, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 9, a plan view` ofthe finger-bar, stationary cutterbar, and reciprocating cutter-bar when combined and arranged; Fig. 10, a cross-sec tion of the same; and. Fig. l1, a longitudinal vertical section of the same, line l in Fig. 9.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

A represents the finger-bar, which is composed of the stift' broad bar a and guard-iin gers a a', securely attached thereto. Each guardiin ger is provided on its upper side with the guard-lip az, and between this guard-lip and the main portion of the finger is the horizontal slot a3. This slot is made with a length forward from the front edge of the bar a sufficient to receive the knives of the cutter-bars, and with a vertical extension sufficient to re-` former to freely move therein.

a shoulder, s.

side of the bar a by bolts orv rivets at proper ceive the thicknesses of the knives ofthe upperk and lower cutter-bars, and allow those of the The bar a is so arranged in such relation to the slotsaa'in the guard-fingers that its upper surface will `be a little below the plane of the surfacesV wat' the lower side of the slots, so as to provide at; the front edge of the bar, at each guardvfinger, Securely iiXed to the upper fiat` intcrvalsarekeepers d. Each keeper is formed withshoulder s2, parallel with the front edge of the bar a, and at its forward end with av downward-projecting shoulder or lip, s', thus forming a spacebetween the forward portion ofy said keeper and the upper surface of4 the bar a of a length equal to the width of bars b and c of the cutters B and C, andof a height equal to the combined thicknesses of said bars and their attached knives. The up per side of said space is on a planea little abovefthe plane of the upper side ofthe slots ci in the guard-fingers, while the depending lips -s extend down to said plane. Securely fixed to the heel end of the finger-bar by bolts or rivets is holding-plate D. lt is made, preff erabl y, of sheet-steel, and has athickness equal to the thickness of the bar b of the stationary, cutter-bar. This holding-piece is providedl with the tongue at, which projects forward from the edge n aboutm half an inch. This edge n is ona line with the shoulders s? of the keepers d.

B is the stationary cutter-bar,which is com-v posed of the bar band the cutting-knives bf b" securely fixed thereto, preferably by rivets. These knivesare made of tempered steeland with a Vshaped form with truncated front ends, as shown. The edges e of each knife are extended from the front ends back to the bar b on equal angles and are so arranged'as to produce V-shaped notches or spaces between them corresponding in'size and angle with the knivesas they project forward. rlhe bar b is made of thin metal, preferably steel, andv of a width equal tothe length of the space between the shoulder-lip s and shoulder s2 of the keepers d. The heel end ofthe barb is made to project beyond the last knife on the bar, and is provided with a notch, b2, corresponding in size and form with the tongue aAi of the holding-piece D on the nger-bar. This IOO ` notch l'f2 corresponds with the holding-tongue YIo a* when the heel end is dropped so that notch bZ will be engaged by said tongue and the latter bar will be locked securely in place with the front edge of the bar b bearing against the shoulders s of the'guard-fingers a', and the rear edge bearing against the shoulders s2 of the keepers, and with the lower sides of the knives resting on the surface as at the lower side of the slot c of the guard-fingers, all as shown in Fig. 8. In this position the holding-tongue c" will co-operate with notch b2 to prevent the cutter-bar from shifting in either direction endwise while the shoulders s aud s2 will prevent the cutter-bar from shifting edgewise, and at the same time the bar b will be firmly supported on the upper surface of the bar a and the knives be uniformly supported by the surfaces a' of the guard-fingers a', so that this cutter-bar will be held from tilting in either direction. When this cutter-bar is in use each knife will be een tral in relation to the guard-finger a', and the angular edges of the adjoining knives will meet at a point central between the adjoining guard-fingers a', and the rear ends of the guard-lips a2 will be on a line with the points of meeting of said edges. Vhen it is desired to remove this cutter-bar, the operator will simply raise its inner end so that notch b2 will be disengaged from tongue a* and then d raw it out from all the keepers and slotsin the finger-bar.

C is the reciprocating cutter-bar, which is composed of the bar c and knives c', rigidly secured to the same, preferably by rivets. The bar c is made with awidth and thickness corresponding with the bar b of the fixed cutter-bar B. The knives c correspond in form and number with the fixed knives b', and have their edges e e formed at the same angle as the edges e e of said fixed knives.

Secured to the heel end of the bar c is the eye cz for connection with a pitman (not shown) connecting with the crank for reciprocating the cutter-bar. This reciprocating cutter-bar is inserted in place in the finger-barA by laying its outer end fiat on the heel-end of the fixed cutter-bar B, moving it endwise toward the outer end of the finger-bar, and guiding the knives through the slots in the guard-fingers and the bar c beneath the keepers in the usual manner. Vhen in place, the reciprocating cutter-bar will be as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, with the lower surfaces of its knives c in contact with the fixed knives b', and with the bar c held down by the keepers d, its front edge bearing against the shoulders or lips s and its rear edge bearing against the shoulders s of the keepers.

The reciprocating cutter-bar C will operate to hold down the fixed cutter-bar B in its, seat, and will prevent its heel end springing upward and disengagiug the holding-notch and tongue b2 a. The cutting-edges of the reciprocating knives are beveled on their upper sides, while those of the fixed knives are beveled on their under sides. The surfaces in contact willwear each other and unite to keep the edges sharp.

By my above-described improvements Idispense with grooves and ways in the fingerbar or guard finger, or both, as heretofore -used 5 and I provide efficient and simple means for holding both cutter-bars in place, with the lower one securely held from moving in any direction, and with the other free to move horizontally endwise. The fingers a.l are not weakened in their forwardly-projected portions by bolt-holes or notches, as in former inventions, where each finger has attached to it an individual knife or edge-plate. The advantageous results secured are thatthe plane and smooth surfaces of the finger-bar and guard-fingers provide supports for the plane smooth surfaces of the stationary eutter without the least liability of any foreign substances accumulating between them so as to clog, while at the same time the shoulder ends s of the guard-fingers do not operate as a con tinuous groove to hold foreign substances. The upper and lower knives can be readily removed for sharpening, or for storage, when not to be used, without removing bolts, as heretofore required.`

I do not broadly claim a removable stationary cutter-bar, for I am aware that upper and lower removable cutter-bars have been employed; but in some instances the lower cut,- ter-bar is secured to the fingers by bolts or screws passing through longitudinal slots in the rear end portion of each guard-finger, and is so arranged that the fingers form a support foi` the bar carrying the knives, while they do not in the least give direct support to the forwardly-projected portions of the knives, as in my invention. In another instance theremovable lower eutter-bar is supported wholly in grooves or recesses made in the guard-tingers, while the knives have only slightly angular edges to project each side of the guardfingers only a short distance, thereby producing between the knives almost a square form of notch into which the grass and straw will bunch. By my improvement-s all these ob- `jectionable features are wholly removed, and the cutting apparatus is made more simple, less expensive in construction and repairs,

more durable, and more effectiveiu operation.

Having described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

IOO

IIO

1. In a cutting apparatus for mowers or reapers, the combination of the finger-bar a, the guard-fingers aa, provided each with a horizontal slot, a3, having its lower side, x, above the plane of the upper surface of the bar a, and the shoulders s, at the front edge of said bar, keepers d d, provided with shoulders or lips s' and shoulders s2, and the plate D, fixed to the heel end of said bar, and provided with the locking-tongue a4, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a cutting apparatus for mowers or reapers, the combination of the finger-bar a, guard-ingersa,having horizontal slot-surfaces a', and shoulders s, the keepers d, provided with shoulder-lips s and shoulders s2, the plate D, having theloeking-tongue a, the removable stationary bar b,provided with a holdingnot-eh, b27 adapted to engage with said holding-tongue a4, and the V-shaped knives b', secured to said bar, substantially as and'for the purpose set forth. 

